Unite press release

For immediate release: Wednesday 15 March 2023

Hunt delivers ‘budget of betrayal’ for the NHS while he rearranges the deck chairs for corporate Britain

NHS workers betrayed.

Meanwhile Hunt rearranges the deck chairs for corporate Britain

Workers in the real economy face crisis.

Commenting on today’s budget, Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham said: “Today the Chancellor had a chance to save the National Health Service - starting by paying NHS workers their dues. Instead, he made the wrong choices and delivered a historic betrayal where there wasn’t a penny for the NHS pay in the budget.”

“So while Jeremy Hunt rearranges the deck chairs for corporate Britain, workers in the real economy face a crisis. This Budget does next to nothing to address the historic cost of living crisis hitting workers throughout our broken economy. Since 2010, real wages have fallen by 15% and that’s going to get worse.

This week Unite’s new research revealed Britain’s corporate profiteering crisis.

Sharon Graham said: “Since the pandemic the top FTSE companies’ profit margins have soared by 89%. What’s the Government’s response? Delivering a ‘sleight of hand’ Budget. Today the Chancellor claimed that this was a budget for growth to benefit Britain. In real terms, it’s tax cuts for the rich and powerful and little reward for workers. This economic system is not only broken, it’s rigged and once again workers are paying the price.”

ENDS

Contact: Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931 315 

Twitter: @unitetheunion Facebook: unitetheunion1 Instagram: unitetheunion Web: unitetheunion.org

 

Unite is the UK and Ireland’s leading union fighting to protect and advance jobs, pay and conditions for members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham.